page_title: Dardistan
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Dardistan / Geography
context_page_description: Dardistan is a term coined by Gottlieb William Leitner for northern Pakistan, and Kashmir in India and parts of north-eastern Afghanistan. It is inhabited by Dards speaking Dardic languages. It includes Chitral, the upper reaches of the Panjkora River, the Kohistan of Swat, and the upper portions of the Gilgit Agency. Mentioned by the classical historians Pliny the Elder, Ptolemy, and Herodotus, the Dards are said to be people of Aryan origin who ascended the Indus Valley from the Punjab plains, reaching as far north as Chitral. They were converted to Islam in the 14th century and speak three distinct dialects of Gilgit, Khowar, Burushaski, and Shina, employing the Persian script in writing.
context_section_description: More than 75% of Dardistan is located in mountainous regions.
caption: Map of Dardistan
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